July is National Ice Cream Month; celebrate with these ice cream recipes

Homemade ice cream is a timeless treat and July is National Ice Cream Month. Kirk McKoyMCT

Homemade ice cream is a timeless treat and July is National Ice Cream Month. Kirk McKoyMCT

Ice cream and July make a perfect match.

The weather is warm or just plain hot. Ice cream, especially freshly churned, cools down the heat.

We have an ice cream maker that is supposed to be easier than the old crank kind that I grew up with, but I don’t like the results as much. The ice cream doesn’t get as hard, mostly soft-serve and runny. I follow all the directions and still do not get the desired results.

I have been looking at another brand this week, but am afraid I will be disappointed again. I guess I want my grandparents’ old wooden, hand-churn one. They would pack it with newspapers and towels on top to achieve the desired hardness, and I got to sit on top of the towels while my granddaddy turned the crank.

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At one of Lilly’s friend’s birthday party, the ice cream makers stopped working.

Off to the store went her granddad. He came back with two modern freezer types (the ones that need to be frozen in the freezer), and his wife sent him back for the older models, the ones with the motors on top. Party saved. Mimi’s ice cream was worth the wait for kids and adults.

Since July is National Ice Cream Month, I thought I would cool us off with ice cream recipes and perhaps offer some new ideas to the traditional vanilla, even though that flavor is still No. 1.

National Ice Cream Day is July 16

While these recipes do work, make sure to follow the freezer manufacturers’ instructions. Each freezer is just a little different and so are the freezing times. Some of the recipes are for makers that have a bowl that must be frozen before ice cream is made. Adjustments may need to be made in the recipes or the times for your ice cream maker.

Ice cream flavors are only limited by the manufacturer’s or home cook’s imagination. The most innovative ice cream products chosen by the International Dairy Foods Association for 2017 are sweet me strawberry rhubarb cobbler ice cream, honey roasted peanut butter ice cream and cool mint sandwiches.

Ice cream manufacturers also are diversifying their products to accommodate the changing dietary needs of consumers. Home cooks can do the same thing, opting for lactose-free frozen treats or low-sugar varieties.

Readers, if you have some good ice cream recipes, please share them with your fellow readers. After all, it’s ice cream month.

Good shrimp salad

“Several years ago (2002) you managed to get me a copy of the wonderful shrimp salad at White Cap Restaurant that I just could not duplicate,” writes Carrol Fletcher. “Turned out to be the cream cheese and horseradish added. I kept this recipe and maybe (it will help with) your request from Ann Brown. . . I also remember going to the Hook, Line and Sinker for the shrimp salad, but always knew White Cap’s was my favorite. It is a large recipe, and I do not know how to break it down for four.”

Wanted: Hook, line, sinker salad

Ann Brown wants the shrimp salad recipe from the now-closed Hook Line and Sinker restaurant in Biloxi. Readers if you have this old-time Biloxi recipe, please share.

CAKE BATTER ICE CREAM

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

3 cups half and half

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup yellow cake mix

6 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

Combine milk and sugar in small pot on medium heat. Heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar mostly dissolves.

In mixing bowl, combine milk-sugar, half and half, cake mix and salt. Mix well. Pour into ice cream maker (remember to freeze bowl in freezer before making ice cream, if you have this type of freezer) and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Usually takes about 30 minutes, but times do vary.

Add sprinkles and freeze ice cream another 5 minutes.

Remove ice cream from freezer. Place into a glass bowl or container, cover and place into freezer to freeze another 2 hours or overnight. This is to allow ice cream to harden more. Makes 8 (1/2-cup) servings.

Recipe from Pampered Chef

FROZEN CUSTARD

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the bowl of ice cream maker into the freezer for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Combine the heavy cream, milk and sugar in small saucepan bringing to a gentle boil over medium heat.

Remove the pan from heat.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks in a bowl, then slowly add 1 cup of the warm cream-milk-sugar to yolks to temper the yolks. Slowly return mixture with yolks back into pan. Cook over medium-low heat about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon or reaches a temperature of 165 degrees.

Remove from heat and pour into a clean bowl, cover and place in refrigerator for 2 hours or until mixture reaches 45 degrees.

Remove ice cream freezer bowl from freezer and pour in mixture. Set timer for about 20 minutes or until mixer stops turning. This mixture will be soft serve. For harder ice cream, place in covered bowl in freezer for 2 hours or so. Makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings

Mix ingredients except mayonnaise and cream cheese, a scoop at a time and blend thoroughly and mix again until all ingredients are mixed except mayonnaise and cream cheese.

Blend 1 cup mayonnaise and the cream cheese, then add to the salad. Add a small amount of mayonnaise until a creamy texture is obtained. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, chopped parsley, tomato wedges, boiled egg quarters and top with a boiled crawfish or boiled shrimp. Serve on a whole lettuce leaf or just on a plate.